5 of Gary Oldman's best roles

For decades, Gary Oldman has proven his incredible range. He's played virtually every character: the famous British leader, the infamous president assassin, the famous vampire, the cop, and the wizard.

However, Oldman's eclectic choice of roles is nothing compared to his uncanny ability to physically and mentally transform into them. It's almost as if he unzips a costume and jumps into another, making viewers unsure he's even still inside. Out of all his roles, though, only five are classic Oldman.

5. Lee Harvey Oswald - 'JFK'

Lee Harvey Oswald is a notorious historical figure, and Oldman nailed the part in 1991's JFK. He looks just like the infamous assassin and does a great job of sounding like him too. We see Oldman as Oswald in flashbacks during district attorney Jim Garrison's investigation into JFK's assassination. Garrison believes that Oswald didn't act alone.

4. Sirius Black - 'Harry Potter'

Oldman plays Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather in the Harry Potter franchise. In his first film in the series, Prisoner of Azkaban, Oldman does a great job of playing the manic escapee. Once his true motives are revealed, which is to kill Peter Pettigrew for framing him and betraying the Potters, he becomes gentler. Suddenly, Harry has a parental figure to look up to and care for him. Sirius continues to inspire his godson until his tragic death in Order of the Phoenix.

3. Dracula - 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'

Dracula is definitely one of Oldman's creepiest roles. When the legendary vampire is youthful, Oldman dons long, luscious hair and a mustache and wears some of the most gorgeous outfits and stylish sunglasses. When Dracula is hungry, he's wrinkly. Oldman isn't the typical Dracula we've seen in Bella Lugosi and Christopher Lee. The 1992 adaptation is a new kind of story. Oldman completely transformed for the role. He's tremendously scary one minute and sexy the next.

2. Jim Gordon - 'The Dark Knight Trilogy'

Jim Gordon sometimes feels like a strange choice of character for Oldman. It seemed unlikely that he'd choose a role in a superhero film, but at least he wasn't new to franchises, having worked on Harry Potter. Jim Gordon is a good cop who just wants to keep Gotham safe, even if that means working with a vigilante. Like Dracula, there have been many portrayals of Gordon, but Oldman's version is one of the most memorable. For once, Oldman is the good guy, and he does it just as well as when he's the enemy.

1. Winston Churchill - 'Darkest Hour'

Oldman is almost unrecognizable as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. He won the Oscar for Best Actor for the role, which isn't surprising. Oldman brought so much more to his portrayal than all the makeup he wears. He showed viewers a different side of the famous British leader and made him multi-layered. Winston Churchill is one of Oldman's best roles.